Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Just this week, because of the bonus received previously mentioned, I upgraded my entertainment systems, specifically the TV and the DVD player in my bedroom. I did so because I was under the mistaken assumption that the TV was going out. It started making all the colors, especially red and white, just blow up on the screen. No amount of adjusting colors and contrast would work. It made me sad because this TV has been around forever and has been a good little TV.

It was one of my first big furniture/appliance purchases I made after getting my first job. It is a 13" Sony TV/VCR combo and was a dream come true for me because I love watching TV and even more importantly, I loved recording Bewitched on to tape. My family didn't share in my enthusiasm and I was sick of listening to their complaining or having to sit through the stuff they wanted to watch. At that time, we were just getting TV through the antennae on the roof and the picture on the living room TV was all right, but for some reason, this little TV/VCR combo made it look crystal clear! I also remember when we first watched Star Wars on it you could totally see the shaded boxes around the Tie-Fighters that weren't present on the bigger less clear TV. And it was great that I got both a TV and VCR all for the low price of $500! LOLOL! What??! It was 1994, give me a break! In the years since I've had it, the remote has pretty much given up, the front door cover to the VCR has fallen off but it still keeps chugging away. So when the colors started going flooey, I was sad:( So I decided it was time to get a new TV and catch up with the 21st century and get a flat screen HD 19" TV. To my horror, the problem with the bleeding colors wasn't my trusty old TV at all...it was my Tivo/DVD player, the other precious mentioned in the title!

I was one of the first people, probably in Utah, to get a Tivo. And it was THE best birthday surprise I have ever had! My family is not too big on surprises but this one came out of nowhere since it was really expensive and just for my birthday. But ever since I had heard Rosie O'Donnell extol the virtues of Tivo on her show, it sounded like the perfect fit for me. And it was. The family got me a Tivo with a DVD player, which they also thought was a DVD burner, which was to help in my obsession of recording every Bewitched episode, so rather than stockpile 294529472394723947 VHS tapes, I'd only have probably half as many DVDs and thinner to boot. Even without it having the burner capability it was awesome! I could record any show and just watch it when I wanted and I could pause live TV for awhile for a bathroom/snack break. It was glorious! Not to mention having a DVD player in my room, especially when Bewitched was released on DVD.

So after purchasing the HD TV and finding out that it was the Tivo/DVD player that was the culprit behind the bleeding colors I decided to really join the future and get a Blu-ray.

Both new purchases are awesome, however, I will always love my TV/VCR and Tivo/DVD player. They both provided years of entertainment and lulling me to bed. It makes me happy to know I can have them for backup though if I start to get scared of all my new technology.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

If you are into astrology, it'll help you understand what you are about to read. I don't believe that I am ruled by the "rules" of my astrological sign, however I use it as my excuse for my decision making abilities.

I am a Libra, the sign of the scales, or balances. Which means that I like to make things balance and weigh every option, much of the time to the point where I can't make a decision because I'm afraid I haven't weighed every possibility and foreseen every possible outcome.

So it goes with my current employment.

Recently I received a HUGE bonus plus a nice raise. I haven't worked at a company EVER that gave out such a huge bonus nor a raise all at the same time. My euphoria over that led me to believe that all my weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth over how much I hated my job was for naught, because look at all the great benefits! When I found out about how much it was I was elated and it seemed like I had broken through the darkness. But after about four hours I was back in my dark place feeling hopeless and lost that I had to put up with all the stress and negativity related to my job.

I've been looking for other employment but it hasn't been fruitful with the exception of having the opportunity to go back to my old job, which is without even insurance benefits and definitely no chance of bonus. But, I don't remember feeling helpless and anxiety ridden and angry all the time there...just bored.

I've found that were I to go back to Old Job I would have weekends off, which I haven't had for about six months now which means I'd be able to go back to Church and nurse my dying spirit, and I wouldn't have to cut my weekend playing short for getting up early the next day.

But on the other hand, I would have to work from about 2:30 - 11PM Mon - Friday. I really enjoy having the evenings off.

So back and forth I go weighing this option and that....it's driving me nuts!! But then again so is my job! What do I do?